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How to make easy Salted Caramel Sauce

Today I’m teaching you how to make easy Salted Caramel Sauce! Because we ALL need a little bit of this in our lives ↓

Last month we went to LA for my 30th birthday and celebrated with a 5 day marathon of my favorite activity: eating. Because we all know calories don’t count on your birthday, right?

One of the places we indulged at was Salt & Straw; a Venice beach ice cream shop notorious for its creative flavors… and long lines. After 45 minutes of waiting, we finally reached the counter and sampled a bounty of impressive flavors. But the one that really won me over was the sea salt with caramel ribbon. I know… it sounds pretty basic, but it was incredible! So naturally, I’ve been trying to recreate a homemade version that does my memory justice. The first step? Make a killer salted caramel sauce!

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So, that’s just what I did. And honestly, this sauce is so good I’ve all but forgotten about making the ice cream! Because drizzling this stuff on top of a bowl of store bought vanilla is almost just as good ♥

And just for the record, this salted caramel sauce is not just for ice cream! It’s way more versatile than that. It’s great on apples, brownies, cookies, cakes, etc. And you can use it in most recipes that call for salted caramel sauce!

Tips and Tricks for Recipe Success:

You’re going to want to use a pot with very tall sides, because when you add the cream to the caramel it will bubble up furiously!

Speaking of the pot, be sure to use a high-quality heavy metal pot. Most cheap cookware is very thin and heats unevenly, so avoid using them for caramel. I also don’t recommend non-stick pans since high-heat can damage them. I love using this Kitchenaid saucepan.

Once you’ve added the sugar and water to the pan, you’ll want to whisk them together until combined, then avoid stirring the rest of the time. Instead, occasionally, and gently, tilt the pan side-to-side to help the ingredients cook evenly and avoid burning. This no-stir method helps avoid sugar crystals from forming.

The caramel takes time to develop, so be patient while it boils. You want it to reach a deep golden brown color before removing it from the heat. Removing it too soon can cause gritty caramel.

Once you’ve removed your caramel from the heat you want to add your cream right away! Make sure you’ve placed it in a spouted measuring cup so you can slowly add it in. As mentioned earlier, the mixture will aggressively bubble up, but as long as you used a tall sided pan, it won’t overflow. Be sure to whisk the mixture together well after adding the cream.

Because the caramel is so hot when it comes off the stove, it will look very thin. However once it cools it will thicken up quite a bit. If you’d like to return the caramel to a liquid form, simple reheat it in the microwave or on the stove top.

Be sure to use quality sea salt. I recommend Maldon because it’s flaky, flavorful, and easy to find!

Finally, if you burn your caramel… there’s unfortunately no method of saving it. Just toss it and start over again.

If you have any other caramel questions, I’m here to help! And because I know you’ve been loving video lately, I hope to have a video for this recipe very soon.

If you try this recipe for Easy Salted Caramel Sauce, let me know! Leave a comment below and don’t forget to snap a pic and tag it #bakerbynature on instagram! Seeing your kitchen creations makes my day

Easy Homemade Salted Caramel Sauce

This is an easy and foolproof recipe for Salted Caramel Sauce! If you have 20 minutes, you can make this!

Ingredients

1 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup water

4 ounces (1 stick) butter

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

1 teaspoon flaky sea salt

Instructions

Whisk together granulated sugar and water in a medium-sized saucepan with tall sides. Cook over medium-low heat until the sugar is completely dissolved, about 3 to 5 minutes, but maybe a little longer depending on your stove. Add in the butter and bring the mixture to slow boil over medium-heat. Continue cooking until the mixture turns a deep golden brown/copper color, about 9 to 10 minutes, maybe longer depending on your stove. Do not stir during this process! Once the caramel reaches this color, remove from heat and immediately add in the heavy cream. Be very careful during this step - the caramel will hiss and bubble up aggressively! Finally, stir in the vanilla and sea salt. Vigorously whisk the mixture smooth and set aside to cool. Store caramel in the fridge until needed.

Notes

You may use salted or unsalted butter.

You may make this caramel sauce up t0 2 weeks in advance. Just be sure to tightly cover it (I love storing mine in mason jars) and store it in the refrigerator.

Heavy cream can be found in the diary aisle in most grocery stores. Whipping cream may also be used. Do not use milk!

All stoves run a little differently, so be sure to watch the caramel as it evolves, and time accordingly. You might need to add an additional 5 or even 10 minutes to the boil time if your stove top runs low.

Thank you for this recipe!!! I make a Kentucky Bourbon butter layer cake with cream cheese frosting and homemade salted caramel sauce. I’ve been stirring the water and sugar (per that recipe’s instructions) prior to the addition of the butter, and have always had crystals to first mash and then strain out. I’ve grown weary of the headache and extra time, so here is a hug of gratitude from northwest Wisconsin.

I tried this but it flopped. Wondering what I did wrong: first, I cooked the butter in the simple syrup for 6 min LONGER than recipe said but never achieved the golden brown color. When I added the cream, it didn’t bubble up furiously. And now that it’s cooling, a bit of butter is separating out. Maybe my stove’s ” medium” heat isn’t hot enough?
Definitely eatable but not as beautiful as pictured!

Update: tried a second batch and cooked it significantly longer after adding butter (~17 min) until it really reached the golden brown color and it came out perfectly. Big hit! I learned to go by color, not time!

Hi Brittney! So happy this worked out for you the second time around 🙂 When it comes to caramel, it’s definitely best to trust your instincts, as every stove top runs a little differently. I’m going to add a note about this right now 🙂

I had the same issue. The caramel just did not change colour! I tried for 20 minutes and gave up! Also had to add more salt than mentioned, couldn’t taste it otherwise. It tastes fine now but doesn’t look caramely. Quite sad 🙁

Hi Samam. It sounds like your stove top heat may run low, so I would try increasing the heat slightly next time. It’s very important that the sugar has completely dissolved before adding the butter. And as I mention in the post, you must be patient as it boils and give the caramel color time to evolve. If you have any questions – just ask 🙂

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Meet Ashley

Hey! I’m Ashley, a creative spirit with a major sweet tooth. Most days you can find me in my happy place: the kitchen. If I’m not there, I’m probably snapping photos of food, planning a party… or dreaming about my next trip to Paris (AKA my favorite place in the entire world). I’m a story teller, recipe developer, and photographer who firmly believes that a homemade life is a happy life. Learn More.